Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Shrimp

The report examines GHG emissions from shrimp aquaculture, noting a wide range of intensities (2 to 99 kgCO2e/kg retail product) driven by production methods, feed, and land-use change. It highlights that while intensive systems are more common and generally less GHG-intensive per unit, the conversion of mangroves for extensive ponds creates massive emissions. Key mitigation opportunities include improving feed conversion ratios (FCR), adopting conversion-free feed, and transitioning to renewable energy.

• GHG emissions from aquaculture shrimp vary significantly, ranging from 2 to 99 kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) per kilogram of retail product, with average emissions likely around 13.5 kgCO2e/kg edible weight (EW).
• Land-use change (LUC), specifically the conversion of mangroves to shrimp ponds, can generate emissions that are orders of magnitude larger than other sources in extensive systems, as mangroves are among the most carbon-rich ecosystems and conversion can release over 80% of stored carbon.
• Feed is a primary emission driver for intensive and semi-intensive operations, potentially accounting for over 60% of production emissions, with fish meal often being the largest contributor.
• On-farm energy use, primarily electricity for pumping and aeration, dominates emissions for intensive operations (approximately 50% of total emissions) and is influenced by the carbon intensity of the regional electrical grid.
• Direct pond emissions from decomposing feces and uneaten feed are poorly quantified but are estimated to add a global average of 1.6 kgCO2e/kg edible shrimp.
• Production intensity inversely correlates with GHG emissions per unit; intensive systems (which make up about 80% of production) generally have lower emissions per kilogram than extensive systems.
• Significant mitigation potential exists through improving the feed conversion ratio (FCR), avoiding mangrove conversion, and using conversion-free feed; reducing the global FCR by 0.1 for whiteleg shrimp could save 1.8 MtCO2e per year.

APA

Moberg, E., Lee, J. M., Kim, S., Boyd, C., & McNevin, A. (2022). Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Shrimp. WWF International. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/209/71vuudovqd_MOBERG_GHG_Brief_SHRIMP_08_22_v4.pdf

Chicago

Moberg, Emily, Ji Min Lee, Sydney Kim, Claude Boyd, and Aaron McNevin. Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Shrimp. WWF International, 2022. https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/209/71vuudovqd_MOBERG_GHG_Brief_SHRIMP_08_22_v4.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Moberg |first1=Emily |last2=Lee |first2=Ji Min |last3=Kim |first3=Sydney |last4=Boyd |first4=Claude |last5=McNevin |first5=Aaron |title=Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Shrimp |publisher=WWF International |date=10 September 2022 |url=https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/209/71vuudovqd_MOBERG_GHG_Brief_SHRIMP_08_22_v4.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{moberg2022measuring, author = {Moberg, Emily and Lee, Ji Min and Kim, Sydney and Boyd, Claude and McNevin, Aaron}, title = {{Measuring and Mitigating GHGs: Shrimp}}, institution = {WWF International}, year = {2022}, month = sep, url = {https://www.worldwildlife.org/documents/209/71vuudovqd_MOBERG_GHG_Brief_SHRIMP_08_22_v4.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }